Searches, such as internet searches, are typically conducted to identify information related to an entity that is not yet known to the searcher so as to provide the searcher enriched knowledge about the entity. The search results may include one or more hits that are “obvious hits”. For example, when the entity is a person of interest and a hit includes the fully spelled name and correct social security number and birth date for the person, such a hit can be considered an obvious hit.
Obvious hits may not be sufficient in all situations, however, as the number of the obvious hits from a search may be limited, and perhaps all the obvious hits collectively may not reveal all desired information about the entity. This is particularly true when the entity, such as a person, intentionally hides its identity by using false or incomplete identification information. In such a case, a comprehensive search strategy is needed, which requires the intervention by a human, such as analyst. In particular, the analyst may screen the raw search results in order to identify potential matches. However, analysts frequently do not possess advanced search techniques or are not readily able to use search tools that enable them to conduct a comprehensive search.